CiROCCO

Enhancing the In-situ Environmental Observations across Under-sampled Deserts

Start date: 01/03/2023

Duration: 36 months

Topic: HORIZON-CL6-2022-GOVERNANCE-01-07

Total budget: EUR 3 147 975,00

Website: https://cirocco-project.eu/

CiROCCO’s vision is to establish an end-to-end sensing system, composed of a distributed network of cost-effective sensing nodes coupled with state-of-the-art data fusion remote sensing and assimilation modelling techniques. A mix of wireless communications including satellite, and local Wireless Sensor Networks is used for the collection of data. The defined network of sensors will enhance the current lack of ground observation in desert areas covering Egypt, Serbia and Spain, offering an operational and in parallel easy to maintain and expand solution. Four services are developed i) Renewable energy systems planning ii) Air quality early warning system for human health iii) Land use and ecosystem management iv) Modelling of GHGs and particles emissions, to validate the quality of the collected data and drive the sustainability and exploitation path of the overall system. CiROCCO performance and capabilities will be tested and validated in real-life settings in four large in Cyprus, Egypt, Serbia and Spain. Commercialisation services ensure the sustainability of the installation and in parallel FAIR management of data will support Cross-COPERNICUS ecosystem integration and assimilation services.

CiROCCO AT A GLANCE

Having a real interest from local communities, including the commercial sector, offering a clear sustainability and commercialisation path

Establish a low-cost and sustainable network of electronic sensing nodes in under-sampled desert areas and ecosystems in Egypt, Serbia and Spain

Develop ICT-based data processing to access and enhance data from remote, under-sampled areas through fusion services

Provide climate data for European Green Deal research, including dust movement models and renewable energy planning

Cross-COPERNICUS ecosystem integration and assimilation

OUR ROLE

In CiROCCO, we have tied together the local interest in protecting the environment for the benefit of our citizens and the advancement to market of the project technical solutions focusing on the pre-commercial evaluation and validation of the solution, the expansion of the ecosystem, the spread of excellence gained and CiROCCO’s market entrance. Vojvodina Šume, the protected area manager authority in Serbia will oversee the pilot activities to specify, secure, install and monitor the CiROCCO sensor network on the locations across the area. InoSens will coordinate data acquisition, processing and analysis from the meteorological and air quality sensor network. The data will be used for short term (24h) drought and wildfire condition assessment and public health risk alert system. In parallel, InoSens will conduct ecological modeling based on EO products, field surveys of changes in land degradation and evaluation of the different risk factors. InoSens will also prepare studies of long-term ecological management, risk avoidance and mitigation planning.